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Q Mr. President, I wonder if in your eight years in office what the changes have been, in your view, of climate change?

THE PRESIDENT: I think it's been more clearly defined as a problem. But what hasn't changed is the realistic notion that new technologies are going to be the solution, and the fundamental question is how do you grow the economy at the same time, and at the same time encourage new technologies. And my administration has done more for the new technologies necessary to change our lifestyles without sacrificing wealth than any other administration.

Q Mr. President, for the record, is global warming real?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it is real, sure is. But the solutions -- having said that, the solutions have got to be measured and realistic -- you can't have a solution to global warming unless China and India are part of any international pact. It's one of the reasons I didn't accept what's called the Kyoto Protocol, and therefore was labeled as anti-environment. I'm a realistic guy. If the major emitters of greenhouse gases are not a part of a solution, then those who are part of a solution are acting in a way that's simply not going to -- it will affect their own economies, but it won't affect the overall global warming issue.

So, yes, I put forth a very realistic, straightforward program that makes sense.

Q Mr. President, acknowledging those constraints, you're an oil man -- some people say that climate change, global warming could have been your Nixon-to-China. Do you wish you'd done more?

THE PRESIDENT: I did what I think is necessary to actually work, Michael. I mean, I could have signed a -- I could have supported a lousy treaty and everybody would have went, "Oh, man, what a wonderful sounding fellow he is." But it just wouldn't have worked. I don't think you want your President trying to be the cool guy and not end up with policies that actually make a difference.

So the policies I've outlined are policies that will actually make a difference: nuclear power for generating electricity; battery driven cars; ethanol. There's a variety of initiatives -- clean coal technology -- all of which will help us sustain our economic vitality and at the same time be better stewards of the environment.

Q Mr. President, turning to the biggest issue of all, Iraq. I wonder if you -- various people and various candidates talk about pulling out next year. If we were to pull out of Iraq next year, what's the worst that could happen, what's the doomsday scenario?

THE PRESIDENT: Doomsday scenario of course is that extremists throughout the Middle East would be emboldened, which would eventually lead to another attack on the United States.

The biggest issue we face is -- it's bigger than Iraq -- it's this ideological struggle against cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives. Iraq just happens to be a part of this global war. Iraq is the place where al Qaeda and other extremists have made their stand -- and they will be defeated. They'll be defeated through military action, but they'll also be defeated as this young democracy takes hold. They can't stand to live in a free society, that's why they try to fight free societies.

The United States pulling out of Iraq or pulling out of the Middle East or not maintaining a forward presence would send all kinds of signals throughout the Middle East. And it would shake everybody's nerves, and it would embolden the very same people that we're trying to defeat.

Q Mr. President, I'm going to surprise you -- there's a question from a user, Bruce Becker, and he asks: Do you feel that you were misled on Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: I feel like -- I felt like there were weapons of mass destruction. You know, "mislead" is a strong word, it almost connotes some kind of intentional -- I don't think so, I think there was a -- not only our intelligence community, but intelligence communities all across the world shared the same assessment. And so I was disappointed to see how flawed our intelligence was.

Americans are programmed carefully to tread light asking Bush questions without feeling that the government will wiretap their phone lines or kidnap them in the middle of the night and taken to a secret military base to be tortured.

Well, for an interview that was supposed answer "our" questions about what is going on, there was so much fluff, I thought a marshmellow plant exploded. Baseball, golf, Father of the Bride!!! Come on!!! One thing I know for sure, they did not pick my question that was submitted. HMMMM....I wonder why? Maybe, it was because it was a REAL question.

I wonder, as the president commented about the Myanmar crisis and the slowness of aid reaching those people, if he remembers Hurricane Katrina and the response (or lack of response!) of our government then. What does the Bible say? "First cast the beam out of your own eye before you go to remove the speck from your brother's!"

What a waste of space. This interview is a joke. where were the REAL questions? Like "Why did you lie 194 times about the reasons for invading Iraq?" The only terrorists we as Americans have to worry about are the oil company excutives, lobbyists and polictions.

On top of the admission by the intelligence community about U.S. sanctioned torture going on in the formerly secret CIA locations in other countries

and

even after the recent *proof* that has come out about he & his top advisors talking about torture being used he still thinks people generally are not paying attention (and he is correct).

Say something often & long enough....

(funny how the the questioner "gets the hook" signal at that moment...)

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THE PRESIDENT: "Yes, well, what he ought to be saying is, is that America doesn't torture. If the implication there is that we do now, then he's wrong. And you bet we're going to protect ourselves by the use of military force. What he really is implying is -- or some imply -- you can be popular; if you want to be popular in the Middle East just go blame Israel for every problem. That will make you popular. Or if you want to be popular in Europe, say you're going to join the International Criminal Court. Popularity is fleeting, Michael. Principles are forever. "

Q "Mr. President, I'm getting the hook here."

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God have mercy on your soul George and those who follow a leader blindly just because he is their leader.

Great interview, President Bush "Your the man" you will be considered as one of the greatest Presidents of all time. I think its time for your picture to be put on our money so you can be a reminder to all americans that this is a president with balls and courage and a man that gets it done!!!!. Thank you for keeping america safe. :)

It is so funny that you spit back liberal media nonsense and think that you are not blindly following the leader. Believing everything you hear on T.V. does not make you enlightened, it makes you ignorant. I bet that you probably think that the movies that Michael Moore makes are actual documentaries. Have you ever talked to a soldier that has been over to Iraq? I have many friends that have volunteered multiple times to go over and fight because their experiences showed them that what America is doing is the right thing. In fact, someone I loved very much lost his life over there and in his final letter he said just that. I will also leave you with his words: "At least some day I will be able to say that I was proud of what I did and proud of who I am. I fought for my country. I am an American soldier." So, God bless America, God bless our troops, and God bless any president willing to defend the country and the people I love so much doing what is right and not always popular.

The beauty of President Bush is he doesn't lose a wink of sleep over what the liberal media thinks of him. He ignores them, and all their horrible advice. He has been a stunning success in letting those murderous Al-Qaeda *******s know America isn't full of a bunch of gutless surrender monkeys.

Screw Bush and for that matter, Screw anyone is stupid and complicit enough to believe that this is an American War. That was my theisis statement, allow me elaborate.

Bush is unquestionably the worst president of our modern era. Under his "blessed" administration this country has suffered the greatest number of deaths on American Soil since the Civil War, Squandered the largest budgetary surplus in history and he has borrowed more than all of his predecesors combined to fund an illegal and unsubstantiated invasion of a soverign nation that never threatened us or attacked us, so I don't know what you're dead friend was bragging about M.R.S., but he didn't die for freedom, truth, justice or the american way. He died so our oil companys could steal resources from the iraqis.

For the first time in American history tortue became an acceptable interrogation technique, even against american citizens (Jose Padilla) He did this all under the guise of homeland security, the truth is he has used your fear and ignorance to make claims of presidential power beyond any ever justified in the consitution - or history for that matter - and even with all these hundereds of billions of dollars spent and the wiretapping, the searches without warrants, the torture, the border fence and the whole lot , HE HAS NOT CAUGHT USAMA BIN LADIN!! Apprently Iraq was 7 times more important than catching the guy who actually killed all those americans on september 11th because there are 7 times more troops in iraq than there are in afghanistan.

Waive your flag and say god bless our troops and our country if you want, I for one am through with the patriotic song an dance. This country wasn't built on loyalty to the king it was built on loyalty to freedom, justice and equality. Values this administration has trampled on. Bush and those in his administration have counted on the fact that you boneheads would care more about gay people getting married and women having abortiions than all the needless suffering and destruction he has caused.

Pull your heads out of the sand and stop with your whiny bs, you think that its the media's portrayal of bush that has made the rest of the world angry with us?? Maybe if you would understand what the united states has been doing for the last 100 years you would have better idea than "they hate us for our freedom" Taking the time to discover the attrocities commited by our government under the guise of american values will educate you as to the alterior motives that have driven this administrations policies. It is everyone's duty as an American to be an informed citizen and knowing what I know, GOD HELP US, GOD HELP AMERICA!

Gutless surrender monkeys eh? You must have been that kid in kindergarden that never stopped trying to shove the square peg in the round hole. We applaud your valient resolve good sir, don't forget to turn the lights off when you leave.

Only one problem with your logic there chief, Al-Queda wasn't in Iraq when we arrived, they are there now in droves because people all across the middle east are now lining up to kill americans to avenge the deaths of muslim civilians during the iraq war and occupation and the torture of muslims at places such as abu grave. You see the damage is done, we are now portrayed as evil american invaders by arab media and at mosques throughout the middle east. WE HAVE ACTUALLY HELPED AL-QAEDA recruit more new members and grow stronger than ever before because there are now more poor muslims in the world who now have a personal reason to hate us.

If you would actually venture out of the United States - like the "liberal media" does - and go anywhere in the arab world and you will see pictures of maimed children and women or the naked muslims at abu grave with american soldiers giving a big thumbs up plastered all over newsstands. This is the image of America created by Bush and his policies- so much for winning thier hearts and minds. The truth is, we are making the problem worse by continuing the fight, but your are right that is the beauty of ignoring the "liberal media" or anyone else that has any sense for that matter.